


Our Past and Future

by Paladin_Willa



Series: World of Rangers [2]
Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Barons, Different Times, Gatherings, Keramon Fief, Meric Fief, Multi, Rangers, Whitby Fief, follows the different missions Daniel does, i guess ill try to tag as this goes, idk what else to tag, in random order, new characters - Freeform, theives, uh, umm
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2019-12-18 03:56:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18241886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paladin_Willa/pseuds/Paladin_Willa
Summary: The many missions Daniel Shields went on as an apprentice and after graduating and becoming a proper Ranger.(aka the sequel i promised years ago)Updates will be SLOW





	1. Just Cleaning Up Pt 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so here’s the sequel finally! I did say it would take a while, and it did. So this fic is gonna be like, updated really randomly, and slowly. I just wanted to make sure you guys knew, that while I do love RA and look forward to updating my old fics again, my updating schedule won’t improve, ever probably while doing many fics at once. Just wanted to warn you that even though I wish to update more, that prob won’t happen. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯. But anyways, so for the story, it’ll be both during his apprenticeship and after, so I’ll indicate when by where Daniel is. Keramon Fief is after he graduated while Whitby and Meric are before. Just wanted to make it clear that that is how you’ll know if Daniel is an apprentice or not. Ok, (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧. Also, feel free to ask me anything or suggest a mission you’d like to see via the comments,  
> Tumblr: paladinikoe or  
> Twitter: @paladinikoe

**XXX Keramon Fief XXX**

Daniel looked about as he rode through Keramon doing his daily patrol. A smile was on his face as he went about. It’s almost been a year since he graduated. He’s seen Will and Halt occasionally as they followed leads for their new task force. As he rode on Arrow, he got closer to the closer to the town outside of Castle Keramon.

As Daniel got to the outskirts of the town, yelling erupted over at the blacksmiths house and forge. Daniel tapped Arrow’s sides and went to a gallop. He soon arrived at the blacksmiths as the man shouted, waving his hand as at someone in the group going up the street toward the castle.

“What’s happened here, Jack?” Daniel asked and Jack turned around to face him, face shocked a bit before it turned into a scowl, looking the way he was facing. He then put his hands into his leather aprons pocket.

“A group of thieves ambushed me. They took many jewels and precious metals,” Jack said and Daniel nodded, knowing to look for jewels and metals.

“Can you describe anything about them?” Daniel asked and Jack nodded.

“Yeah. They had a worn leather sack. They also wore brown cloaks. One was shorter than you Ranger but had a beard that looked to be black and unruly. Another was tall like you, bigset. But he appeared to be fit like a knight would be. There was one other, he was a couple inches shorter than the first man I mentioned. He seemed to stick to the the bigger man like beeswax. They all wore clothing that a hunter would wear. But they all looked to be fairly old and worn out,” he explained and Daniel nodded, putting the details to memory.

“I’ll look into this and get your stuff back, Jack,” Daniel promised and the man nodded. “Did you see how far they went?” Jack then nodded.

“Yeah, they seemed to get at least halfway up the street before they merged into the crowd,” Jack said and Daniel gave the man a nod and smile before going the way Jack said.

A hum left Daniel as he rode up the street, looking around trying to find the thieves. People walked around him, either looking at the ground or anywhere else. That was normal, only nobles were comfortable with Rangers. The few kids with their parents walking about looked at him fascinated before being told not to look.

A flick of a cloak caught Daniel’s attention. He turned his head minutely and saw three men huddled in an alley. They were looking out of the alley to the road they presumably just left. It was interesting how not one citizen helped considering these fool of thieves robbed in broad daylight.

Luck was really against the thieves. They were in a dead end.  _ That’s probably why they hid out, wanting to see if or when I’d pass before making an escape _ , Daniel thought with a smirk. A few meters away, up the road, watch a watchman with two others coming over. They stopped when they say him and he nodded. They hesitantly walked over but he stopped them with a gesture before the thieves could see them.

Loosely holding his longbow, Daniel slipped off Arrow and took a few steps towards the three. He trusted the thieves wouldn’t try running. “A group of thieves are in this alley,” he explained softly. “I’m going to stop them. I’m going to be taking them to the Baron, do you think you can return the sack to the blacksmith?” he asked and the guards nodded. Daniel went over to Arrow and quickly made a note to place in the sack.

_ Tell me if there’s anything missing, the thieves may have sold something already or perhaps one of the watchmen took something. If so, I’ll get the stuff missing. _

_ -Ranger Shields _

He placed the note in a pocket on his surcoat and turned to the alley. He held the bow in front of him as he walked over to the alley’s entrance and smirked at the scared thieves. “I believe you took something that doesn’t belong to you,” Daniel said with a growing smirk, recalling the words that changed his life.

The thieves startled and tried recovering. “We did no such thing!” The clean shaven one said standing slightly behind the bearded one.

“Really?” Daniel asked tilting his head and the thieves seemed to smile, like they were winning. “Then let me see what’s in the sack your holding,” at that, the thieves lost their smiles.

“No,” the bearded one replied and Daniel raised a brow at that.

“No?” he repeated and the bearded one nodded.

“No. You don’t get to see our sack,” he repeated.

“Well, you three seem very sure you did no wrong. If that is true, then show me the bag,” Daniel countered, face falling into a serious look.

“He don’t know what’s in there,” the clean shaven one said quietly, but not quietly enough. The smirk returned to Daniel’s face as the bearded one smacked the others head.

“Either we’re doing this the easy way, or the hard way,” he responded and the thieves all took out weapons. Daniel quickly got an arrow out and shot the sack out of the bearded thieves grasp. The man shouted out angrily and ran toward Daniel, dagger in hand.

Daniel smirked as he quickly trapped the clean shaven thief by his cloak to the wall by an arrow. He then took out his Saxe and blocked the attack coming. He twisted the blade and managed to throw the man off, making his drop the dagger and knocked the hilt of his Saxe against his head. The man fell over dazed as the other one ran over.

Daniel tossed his bow aside and met the mans attack equally. The bigger man managed to make Daniel drop his Saxe. But Daniel was quick. He managed to get out of the man’s way and threw some punches. He crossed his arms and locked them when the man sent his own punch. With his arms locked, he stopped the blow causing the man to stumble.

Daniel reached down and grabbed his Saxe and jumped. He swung his leg and hit the man’s head, causing him to stumble. He then banged the Saxe’s hilt against the man's head twice more, causing the man to go down finally. Daniel then took out his thumb cuffs and placed them on two of the men before going over to the last one, still stuck against the wall.

Daniel gripped the arrow and pulled it out with ease. The thief stumbled and Daniel grabbed his arm. He then placed the thumb cuffs on and sat him beside his buddies. The watchmen watched them while he went over to the sack. He quickly pulled the arrow out and placed it back in his quiver before opening up the sack and saw that it was indeed the materials Jack said were taken. He quickly placed the note in at the bottom before tying it off again. He then went over to the watchmen and handed the sack over.

He went over to Arrow and grabbed some rope and tied the three together to make it easier. He knew he could just let the watchmen take them but since he did it, it had them sweating. It also made them more talkative, according to the Baron at least.

“Good job,” a voice called out and Daniel smiled.

“You taught me well,” he responded turning to see Gilan standing proudly beside Arrow with Blaze a bit behind.

“That I did. Need help?” he asked and Daniel smiled.

“Wouldn’t mind the extra eyes,” he walked over to Gilan and quickly tied Arrow’s reigns and tossed them over to show that he wanted Arrow to follow behind him. Gilan did the same to Blaze and went on the other side of the thieves. “So, what are you doing in Keramon, Gilan?”

At that, Gilan smiled brightly. “Well, I was going to meet you on the way to the Gathering but decided I’d come in to see what’s up,” he replied and Daniel smiled.

“Just wanted to do a patrol before leaving,” Daniel replied as they walked toward the castle. People this time stared as there was now two Rangers walking but the pair didn’t pay any mind to them.

“Good thing you did,” Gilan agreed gesturing to the three thieves. “Not real bright, are they?” he asked and Daniel laughed at that.

“That they aren’t,” he agreed as they entered the small castle walls. He then stopped and gave Arrow a pat. “I shouldn’t be long, just got to report to the Baron and give these guys over to the prison guard.”

Gilan nodded his understanding with a smirk. Daniel went into the castle, the three thieves in tow. The castle inhabitants didn’t pay them any mind as Daniel had become a regular to come in at least once a week with anyone he caught breaking a law. He made his way up to where the Baron was and knocked. “Come in,” came the muffled reply. Daniel opened the door and made the three go in first before following. “Ah, what did they do?” he asked looking between the four.

“Tried stealing from the blacksmith, in broad daylight,” Daniel replied and the Baron shook his head.

“Ah, thieves, and not bright ones at that,” he responded with a smirk and Daniel nodded. “Alright. Send a report in when you can. My guards will take it from here to deal with them,” the Baron then waved a hand and two guards came in and took the men. “I do hope my men will be able to take care of the crime while your gone,” he said.

“I believe they’ll do just fine, Baron Zach. I’ll be back before you know it, along with that report,” he replied with a smile and the Baron laughed at that.

“Good day, Daniel,” he said after he finished laughing and Daniel nodded back.

“Good day, Zach,” Daniel replied before walking out of the Barons office. He soon made it back to Gilan and nodded. “All set,” he said swinging up onto Arrow’s saddle. “Let’s go meet up with the others,” he replied and Gilan nodded his agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so here’s the next chap!!! And man, this update was fairly quick. Hopefully, it’ll always be like this, but we’ll see. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ . Anyways, I hope you enjoy this new chap! I just wanted to remind you amazing readers this, chaps will usually be stand alones and out of order. Ok? Just wanted to remind you guys that the chaps won’t typically be in order, but I’ll make sure you have some clue as to when it does take place! Also, feel free to ask me anything via comments, Tumblr(ranger-paladinikoe) or Twitter(@paladinikoe)!!!!!

**XXX Gathering Ground XXX**

“Ah, there you are!” Crowley called out as Daniel, Gilan, Halt, and Will entered the Gathering Ground and Daniel smiled.

“That was my fault. I did an extra patrol but I then had to catch some thieves,” Daniel explained and Crowley nodded understanding.

“Of course,” Crowley answered with a smile too.

“So we’re the last ones to arrive?” Will asked as they walked over to where the other horses were. At Will’s question, Crowley nodded.

“You guys are. But you’re here now. Halt, meet me in the Command tent, the other’s are already there. Just gotta discuss some reports then we can begin the Gathering,” Crowley said and Halt nodded as he got off Abelard.

“I’ll take care of Abelard,” Will said and Halt nodded. The three then quickly cared for their horses before finding a spot to set up their tents.

**XXX**

“So there’s only one new apprentice?” Daniel asked and Leander nodded.

“Ya, I believe you knew him. He came in your final year of apprenticeship,” he said and Daniel nodded.

“Yeah, I vaguely remember meeting him then. It was……Lance, right?” Daniel asked in confirmation and Leander nodded,

“Yeah. He’s over with his master right now practicing,” Leander said and Daniel nodded understanding.

“Who was his master again?” he asked and Leander turned to the camp's edge.

“Oh, it’s James,” Leander said and Daniel nodded understanding, watching as Lance and James practiced together, well more like James watching Lance practice and giving tips.

“Think he’s up for the assessment?” Daniel asked suddenly and Leander looked over at him and shrugged.

“Personally, I’m rooting for him. But besides that, we won’t know until he does them,” Leander admitted and Daniel nodded understanding.   
“Of course. I have a feeling Lance will be a good Ranger,” he agreed and Leander nodded with a smile.

“Definitely.”

**XXX**

“Good job, Lance. You are now officially a Ranger’s apprentice,” Crowley said giving the boy a bronze oak leaf pendant on simple cord. Lance grabbed it delicately, still shocked that he did it. A smile broke out on his face as he put the necklace on and beamed at his master who ruffled his black hair.

Crowley had decided to give the bronze oak leaf after dealing with the two new graduating Ranger’s.

“Thank you,” he mumbled back which had Crowley smiling back.

“It was no problem, you earned it,” Crowley replied which had everyone nodding agreement, except for Halt who only moved his head a little in a nod. “Ok, so we have a few rearrangements this year. Farrel, you’re going to Seacliff to recover. Mac, you’re going to Merric Fief again, Anthony you’re going to Whitby Fief. Clarke, you’re going to Highcliff. Skinner, you’re going to Culway Fief. Alright, so that’s it!” Crowley said happily and all the Ranger’s nodded understanding. “Now, let’s eat!”

All the Ranger’s then started grabbing food and started eating. Once they finished eating Crowley stood up and clapped. “Ok, time for the unofficial Ranger song!” he happily shouted and both Will and Berringer stood up, grabbing their respective instrument. After grabbing their instruments, they got ready and started singing the song. Once they were done, all the Ranger’s went to their tents to rest, in the morning they’d all leave.

**XXX**

Morning came quickly. All around, Ranger’s could be heard creating a quick meal to eat before striking their tents and leaving. Daniel already had his tent packed and was just eating before going. Gilan went over to him with his own cup in hand. “Well, two more of your friends got their silver oak leaf’s,” Gilan mentioned and Daniel nodded slowly.

“Ya, but two won’t ever,” Daniel said softly and Gilan nodded understanding. When Daniel got his silver oak leaf, Leon was killed with his master Chris. Liam had his leg amputated from a severe injury and was given a bronze oak leaf a few months before the Gathering. He couldn’t come as he was still recovering but would join next year and help teach. Berrigan was with him, helping him learn to walk with a peg leg.

“They’ll be remembered for what they did. And hey, Liam will still be around, he just won’t get to do as much. He could become a musician and help that way,” Gilan said and Daniel gave a soft chuckle.

“I don’t know how he’ll take to it. But it’ll be interesting to see,” Daniel agreed and Gilan laughed at that.

“That’s true,” Gilan agreed with a smile. “Ready to go back to Keramon?”

A sigh left Daniel as he looked ahead. “Yeah. It was fun hanging with you again,” he said and Gilan nodded.

“It was good seeing you too, especially in action,” Gilan said with a smile and Daniel smiled back.

“Well, we’ll see each other in a year,” Daniel responded finishing his meal and stood to put it away. Gilan nodded as he downed the rest of his cup and stood too.

“I’ll see you then,” Gilan answered pulling Daniel into a hug that was quickly returned. They soon let go and Daniel swung up onto Arrow’s saddle and gave a wave.

“You can always write,” Daniel said with a smile as he turned Arrow’s head toward the exit.

“I will,” Gilan promised with a smile himself and waved as Daniel left the clearing.

“You did good with him,” a voice said and Gilan turned around to see Crowley standing there. “At first, I didn’t think you’d succeed training a thief, but he’s turned out to be a fine Ranger,” he admitted and Gilan smiled.

“Well, he was given the chance he needed. And the motive to succeed,” he smiled back and Crowley shook his head.

“And what was it?” he asked.

“To prove you wrong,” Gilan answered with a smile and Crowley shook his head with a chuckle before looking back at Gilan.

“He definitely proved me wrong. It was smart of you to take him in. He’s a fine Ranger,” Crowley replied with a wide smile while Gilan looked back to where Daniel left with a smile.

“He is,” Gilan said before turning to Crowley to nod and swung up onto Blaze’s saddle. “See you next year.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here’s the next chap! I hope you enjoyed reading it!!! The next chap prob won’t be for a little whiles. But we’ll see honestly. I hope it won’t take long but it might. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!!! -Love Willa


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, it’s been give or take a couple months since the last update. Sorry bout that. But well, I did warn ya. But I do hope to be updating a bit more often. But we’ll see. I’m better but I do have my off days, admittedly more often than usual. But I’ll figure that out. Anyways, enough of my rambling, here’s the next chap. I hope you enjoy!!!

**XXX Whitby Fief XXX**

Daniel looked about the town as they rode in, going up the main street to get to the castle. As they rode, people nodded their greetings before hurrying off. They got closer to the castle, more people were moving about, going in and out of the gate there. Soft strumming and humming ran through the street from up ahead. It carried over the voices of people chatting and vendors calling out for people to buy their items. Daniel was fascinated by the market just outside the castle. At the end, there was where the music was coming from. A girl was playing an instrument,  _ a mandolin _ , he thought, and was singing next to a table full of flowers, single ones, and bouquets, both small and big ones.

The girl smiled at him as she sang, a subtle thing to get people to go to her family’s booth,  _ Clever _ , Daniel thought. Her parents were shouting for people to come over to buy something for good prices. What stuck out about her though was that she had a light tan and platinum white hair. Daniel turned to Gilan and saw that he was looking over at him. “Someone caught your eye?” he asked and Daniel faced forward, but glaring at Gilan sideways.

“What, no!” Daniel replied quickly and Gilan laughed as they continued forward, going past the girl Daniel was curious about

“Is that so?” he asked and Daniel nodded assurance while Gilan smiled,  _ Just like Alyss and Will _ , Gilan thought. “Well, you don’t need to be with me when I check in with the Baron,” he said and Daniel nodded.

“I’ll see you back here soon,” Daniel said and rode to the side and swung down. He walked about the market looking at the things that people shouted about. He saw a baker and walked over to him.

“Morning, lad! Care for some bread? It’s on sale!” the man said happily, not caring that the person he was talking to was apart of the Rangers.

“How much for a small loaf?” Daniel asked and the man gave a warm smile.

“Usually at my shop they’re a silver piece. But here it’s 10 copper pieces,” he answered and Daniel nodded as he pulled out the amount said.

“Thank you, have a good day,” Daniel said and the man nodded back smiling.

“You too, lad!” he shouted as Daniel walked away holding the small loaf that was wrapped up in cloth. He soon made it back to the castle, right next to the flower booth. The girl had taken a break from playing, but her mother had taken over. They were presumably in front of their house as the girl sat on the railing surrounding a small verandah drinking from a cup.

“Looking for anything in particular?” she asked with a smile, her blue eyes filled with mirth.

“Not really. Just browsing,” Daniel replied, moving a hand through his hair.

“Well, I’m guessing you're new here?” she asked and he nodded. “Do you know why the change of Rangers?” she continued.

“Well, Ranger Commandant Crowley said he wanted someone he could trust in the north,” he said and the girl nodded understanding. “Daniel Shields,” he introduced, raising a hand up. She clasped her own hand in his and shook it in greetings.

“Kara Summers. I help my parents grow flowers and sell them. Not much, but it’s hard in the winter. Not many flowers grow then,” she said and Daniel smiled as he nodded his understanding.

“That’s pretty cool. Which bouquet would you suggest for a cabin?” he asked and her grin somehow grew as she pushed herself off the rail and walked over to the table with Daniel behind her. She then grabbed one that had blue, violet, and white wildflowers in it.

“I’d suggest this one, the colors would be a nice pop of color in a cabin if the color scheme is the same as your Ranger clothes,” she answered and he nodded.

“Well, I’m not sure what every cabin looks like, but I’ll trust your decision,” he said and she laughed a little.

“That’ll be 15 copper,” she said and he looked at her to be sure.

“Are you sure? This seems like it’s worth more,” he said and she nodded. “Alright,” he said and rummaged through and pulled out a silver piece instead. “I insist, keep the change, your family deserves it,” he said and she smiled.

“Well, thank you. At least take this too as thanks then,” she grabbed a single stem that had lavender flowers on it and handed it to him. “Lavender has been known to also help relieve stress.”

“Thanks, have a great day! Hope to talk to you again,” Daniel said as he walked over to the gate with a wave.

“I hope so too!” she yelled over the crowd with a wave herself. Gilan walked out of the Castle by then with a smile and he smirked as he saw Daniel holding bread and flowers.

“So?” he asked.

“Thought we’d like some bread to eat and flowers to decorate the cabin. But she gave me the lavender as thanks for paying more than asked for the bouquet,” Daniel explained and Gilan nodded still smirking.

“Alright, let’s get to the cabin. After we put away our things we can go about the fief and get acquainted with the area,” Gilan said and Daniel nodded his agreement and they both swung up onto their saddles. The then tapped their horse's sides and started through town before exiting and walking toward a small forest to the town's edge and following the path. Soon, they arrived at a clearing and in the center was a cabin that the previous Ranger stayed at.

They went over to the stable at the back and put their horses there and quickly gave them an apple before going to the front. There, over the door was an oakleaf, the traditional Ranger symbol. Gilan unlocked the door they walked inside and saw that the cabin was similarly designed like the cabin in Meric.

Gilan went in back and placed Daniel’s stuff in his room before going to his own to start unpacking. Meanwhile, Daniel went to the kitchen and placed the bread in a bread container. He then found a vase and went outside to the pump and filled it with water. After it was filled, he took it inside and placed the bouquet in it; he then placed the single stem of lavender in the middle of the bouquet. Once that was finished, he placed the vase on the table which sat in the middle of the room right next to the seats around the fire.

Daniel then went to the room Gilan gave him and started unpacking his stuff. He finished quickly and found Gilan sipping a cup of water waiting for him. “Ready to go?” he asked and Daniel nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

**XXX**

They arrived at the clearing just as the sun was on the edge of the horizon. “That was a good ride,” Gilan stated and Daniel nodded agreement. They were both now knowledgeable about the fief they were in. “Let’s get a meal started,” he continued and the two went about caring for their horses so that they could rest easily. Once that was done, they went inside and started cooking a meal.

After a bit, the meal was finished and they were sitting at the table eating. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Daniel asked and Gilan took a sip from his cup before answering.

“Well, while I was talking to the Baron, he mentioned a case that he wanted us to take care of. It happened after the other Ranger left for the new fief. So, we’ll be dealing with that before we continue your training,” he explained and Daniel nodded his understanding.

“Ok. Do you know what it’s about?” he asked and Gilan shook his head.

“He didn’t say. We’ll learn about it tomorrow,” Gilan replied taking another bite of his meal. “Once you're done, go to bed, we’ll be up early tomorrow to solve the case.”

“Okay,” once Daniel finished his meal he washed his dish and went to his room to change into his night clothes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so here’s the next chap!! It’s a bit short, but well, my mom’s going through old stuff and wanted my help so I write this while helping and well. Ya, it made it hard to remember what exactly I wanted to happen in this chap. But, I hope you enjoyed reading it!!! -Love, Willa <3<3<3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so it’s been a few months. Sorry ‘bout that. But I can’t say that’ll change. Updates will be a good while between them. But I hope you enjoy!!

Daniel looked around as they made their way over to the castle. As they neared the castle, the girl, Kara, was out again, singing and playing with her mom. He waved to her as they passed and she returned the wave before going back to enticing people to their shop. They walked up to the Baron's office and Gilan knocked. “Come in.”

Gilan opened the door and the two entered. Daniel closed the door after they entered and followed Gilan’s lead. They sat down across from the Baron. “Baron Micheal, you said there was a problem?” Gilan asked and the Baron looked up from the parchment he was looking at.

“Yes,” he replied with a sigh. “When the old Ranger left, a thief popped up. He’s stealing heirlooms and anything worth lots. We can’t find who it is. And just a few days ago, he kidnapped a courier and ransomed her to her family. Her husband paid the ransom, but who knows what he’ll do next. I’m afraid this thief will strike again. By kidnapping another person,” he explained and pulled out some other papers. He put the paper he was looking at on top and slide them over to the two.

“Mmm. This is troublesome. How long has he been active?” Gilan asked.

“For over a week. The Ranger seemed to be in a hurry to leave so I didn’t stop him. But I would have thought the new Rangers would be quick,” he said and Gilan nodded.

“Sorry about that. We had to do some things back in Meric before we could leave. Paperwork, you know,” Gilan said and the man nodded understanding.

“So, will you do it?”

Gilan and Daniel shared and look. Daniel was smirking.

“We will,” Gilan said and the two stood up.

“Take these. They may help you.” Gilan nodded grabbing the folder of papers.

“The next you hear from us, we’ll have the thief,” Gilan said and the Baron nodded as they left. “So, you have an idea?” Gilan asked.

“Yes,” Daniel replied as they went over to their horses. They swung up onto their horses and started back to their cabin. “I think I know who it is. When I was a thief, there was this older man. He didn’t care what the other thieves said. He stole to ruin or sabotage someone's life. He would even kidnap people so that they would fear him. When I was there he went by a codename, Fox. But those I’ve kept in contact with haven’t heard from or about him in a good while. He might have gone underground to hide for a while,” he explained and Gilan nodded.

“All the Ranger’s have heard about Fox. We couldn’t catch him. But then he vanished one day when you first started being a Ranger,” Gilan said and Daniel nodded. “Did he ever tell anyone his real name?” Daniel looked ahead with a frown on his face.

“No. If I’m being honest, I don’t think he has a name. He’s been there since he was young, just a kid. People only ever knew his codename,” Daniel admitted and Gilan nodded once more.

“This’ll be interesting. That’s for sure,” Gilan said with a small smile and Daniel nodded agreement. They soon reached the cabin and bedded their horses down for the time being. Once that was done, Daniel grabbed a map as Gilan laid all the paperwork down. “Alright, let’s get started marking where he’s been and who he’s hit.”

With that, the two started circling towns all around the fief and putting who was caught up in the crime. Most towns only had a couple incidents while others only had the one. But then they noticed something. The town outside the castle got hit three times. “What do you think?” Daniel asked and Gilan tapped his chin.

“He’s already hit here three times. You think it’s likely he’ll hit again?” Gilan asked and Daniel rubbed the back of his head.

“For other thieves, no. They’d only do it a couple times at most. But since he’s already hit three times, he might be planning on hitting one more person before leaving. Even though he knows we’re here, he’ll probably already have a plan for the last heist,” Daniel said and Gilan nodded.

“Any idea on where he could possibly be?” Gilan asked and Daniel looked at the map closely. He started muttering to himself as he looked at the map.

“I’d say he’s somewhere in this forest. That’s the most likely place he’d be. That’s how I did it when I wasn’t your apprentice,” Daniel explained and Gilan nodded.

“Then I say we should take a good look around the forest,” he agreed and Daniel nodded. With that, the two split up and started scouring the forest for any sign of the thief. After a few hours, Daniel stumbled across something. He picked up the piece of cloth and looked around carefully. He then slowly followed the hidden path the person took. He soon came across a camp. There was a smoldering pile of ash, next to it was a blanket along with a bag. There were a couple items that the person used to cook and eat with.

“Mmm. Now where could you be?” he mumbled looking around. He then climbed up a tree, taking a page out of Will’s book. He then got settled and waited to see if it was who they were looking for.

After a few more hours, a man stumbled into the clearing. The man pushed his hood down as he set down a skinned and cleaned rabbit. “Fox,” Daniel mumbled getting up and going away to get to the ground safely. Once there he looked back toward the camp and debated what to do. As he turns to leave a voice stops him.

“Daniel,” a chill goes up Daniel’s back. He turns to view who spoke and saw Fox glaring at him.

“Fox,” Daniel greeted just as coolly. They stare at each other for a bit, assessing. “What are you doing here? You went underground years ago,” he said and the man nodded.

“I did. But a man has to live somehow,” he replied and Daniel’s hand tightened into a fist.

“Kidnapping and ransoming isn’t living. It’s terrorizing,” Daniel said and the man just glared at him. “No one else does it. All the other thieves don’t do it. Kidnapping makes you a terrorist. And you know it.”

“I know it? Do I?” Fox replied back and had a sick grin on his face. “I do. Just because it’s terrorism doesn’t mean I can’t do it,” he replied stepping closer and Daniel pointed his bow at the man.

“Why are you still here?” he demanded.

“Well, I just had to meet the brat that used to be one of us,” Fox said and Daniel frowned at the man.

“I wasn’t one of  _ you _ . The other thieves didn’t kidnap. That was all you. I only became a thief because no one else would help me. But you, from what it sounds like, you accepted it with open arms. You abandoned your parents, your family,” Daniel said and Fox glared at Daniel.

“I think the biggest question here is, what are you going to do?” he asked and Daniel scowled, practically sneering at the man. “Are you going to prove that you shouldn’t be a Ranger’s apprentice? Or are you going to betray all thieves?” he asked.

“All the thieves respect me! Unlike you!” Daniel threw back and the man's smirk turned into a scowl.

“Now, is that any way to talk to one's elders?” he asked.

“When they’re a terrorist, yes,” Daniel replied and the man stuck. “Ahh!” Daniel jumped back as the dagger Fox carried cut his right arm. Daniel gently tossed his bow aside and pulled out his knives. Fox moved to strike again but Daniel was lucky to stop it. He then moved his saxe to hit Fox but the man dove aside. As Daniel turned to attack, Fox struck once more and cut Daniel’s side.

As Fox moved away, Daniel managed to cut Fox across his arm. “Bad move,” Fox growled and moved swiftly. Daniel grunted under the force of attacks the man did. He managed to stop most, but Fox still managed to cut him a few more times.

“YAAAHHHH!” Daniel yelled out as he swung the saxe’s hilt to Fox’s head. The hilt hit its mark with astounding force. Fox swing with the blow and landed on the ground unconscious. Daniel fell to his knees with a grunt and panted. He couldn’t tell how many places he was cut, he couldn’t really feel them as adrenaline was now pumping through him, making everything numb. He was quick to clean the knives before putting them away. He then grabbed the thumb cuffs from a pouch and put them on Fox.

He then stumbled to his feet and grabbed his bow, slinging it across his shoulders. He then tied the bag that had some stuff still in it. Once that was secure, he carried it over to Fox. Through some effort, Daniel had the man slung across his shoulders and held the bag. He started back to town and the adrenaline wore off slowly.  _ I didn’t think we’d catch him this soon. Couldn’t be helped though _ , Daniel thought as he walked. He stumbled a few times as he walked and sighed as the forest’s edge came into view.

Pain. That’s what Daniel felt as he reached the edge. A grunt left him as he leaned against a tree. He let one hand leave Fox’s body and pressed it against his side. When he pulled back, his hand was covered in blood. With another grunt, he pushed off and made his way to the town that was just ahead. When he reached the town, people looked at him in shock.

He stumbled for the final time and fell onto the ground. He landed painfully onto his knees and hands. Fox fell and rolled a bit away from him while his bag of stolen goodies clanked. A grunt left Daniel and he pressed his hand back onto one of the many cuts littered across him. He heard footsteps and looked up to see the towns Watchmen running over. They reached him quickly and looked at him and fox curiously.

He tried to move to sit gracefully but ended up falling to his side with a grunt of pain. With the help of a Watchman, he was leaning against a house’s rail. “That’s the thief that’s been causing trouble for the past couple weeks,” he said and the men nodded as they looked inside the bag and saw the stolen items.

“We’ll get this to Baron Micheal. Someone will go get Ranger Gilan,” the head Watchman said and Daniel shook his head.

“I don’t think you’ll find Gil anytime soon. We split up to search the forest for him,” Daniel explained and the man nodded.

“Let’s get you to the healer though,” he said and Daniel nodded agreement. As the other men took Fox and his bag, the head Watchman helped Daniel up. He then put Daniel’s uninjured arm over his shoulder and his other arm around Daniel. With Daniel now supported, the two slowly made their way over to the castle.

As they walked, people looked at them in shock. “Daniel!” a voice shouted and the two turned to see a girl, Kara. Daniel gave a pained smile at his friend.

“Hey, Kara,” Daniel replied as his friend looked him over worriedly.

“What happened?” she asked as she moved closer and helped support him. As his arm moved, he grunted. The head Watchman just nodded before pulling away.

“Can you get him to the healer? I should inform the Baron,” he said and Kara nodded. The two then started moving again to the castle.

“I fought a thief. You know the one, the one that kidnapped someone here?” he said and Kara nodded.

“He did quite the number on you,” she observed as they went through the gate.

“He was a terrorist and crazy,” Daniel said as they entered the castle and a servant lead them to the healer there. Once they entered the room, Daniel was directed to a bed were Kara helped him down.

“I can imagine,” she said and Daniel smiled at her.

“I’ll be fine now. Do you think you could keep an eye out for Gilan? He doesn’t know what happened,” Daniel said sheepishly and Kara nodded.

“Of course! Do see me when you’re better,” she said and after seeing him nod, she left the room.

“Now, to deal with you,” the healer said shaking his head and Daniel gave a pained smile. “If we’re going to get anything done, you’ll need to remove your shirt,” he said and Daniel nodded. As the healer went to get some items, Daniel took off his bow and quiver. He then untied his cloak before slowly undoing his surcoat. Once those were done, the healer was once again next to him.   
Daniel grimaced as he slowly took his shirt off with help from the healer. Once his chest was clear, the man started surveying the injuries muttering. “You’re lucky, mister. These aren’t serious, but with how much blood you lost, you’ll be resting for a few days at least before you should continue doing your Ranger work,” he said and Daniel nodded understanding. The man then went about cleaning up the wounds before putting on a poultice. After the poultice was applied, he wrapped the wounds up.

 By the time the man was securing the last bandage, Gilan came in. He looked around frantically before he saw Daniel. All the tension in Gilan’s body left but the worry was clear as day. He came over and kneeled in front of Daniel, looking over his bandaged chest, shoulders, and arm. “Are you ok? What happened?” he asked and Daniel gave a small grimace as he slowly put his shirt back on. “Your friend Kara only told me that you were in the healer's room.”

“Ya, sorry. I found the thief. I found his camp and waited to see who it was. We were correct, it was Fox. I tried leaving to find you, but he noticed me. We….exchanged some words before he attacked. I was able to stop him though. At the edge of town, I couldn’t carry him anymore and collapsed. The Watchmen took him away and the head Watchman helped me to the castle before Kara took over. While she led me here, he went to inform the Baron of what happened. Sorry again. I meant for us to plan how to stop him,” Daniel said looking down after he shrugged on his surcoat.

Gilan pulled Daniel into a hug which startled him for a couple of reasons. He didn’t expect Gilan to hug him after his explanation. And it hurt for him to be hugged. He must have made a sound since Gilan pulled away with a sorry expression. “Sorry, are you ok?” he asked and Daniel nodded. “Good. And don’t be sorry. You did your best. You couldn’t have known Fox would see you, nor that he would stop and attack. I’m just glad you’re all right,” Gilan explained and Daniel nodded with a smile. “Come on, let’s get you back to the cabin.”

Daniel just did one of the things on his surcoat and tied his cloak back on before Gilan helped him up. Daniel gripped his side as he stood up and Gilan patted his shoulder gently. Gilan then grabbed Daniel’s bow and quiver and held them as they slowly walked out of the castle. As they walked back, people clapped or waved at the pair and Daniel just nodded to them. When he saw Kara he waved and she waved back, knowing Daniel should rest for a bit.

Daniel was happy though when they reached the cabin. He sighed as he sat on one of the chairs around the table and Gilan shook his head, hanging the bow and quiver in Daniel’s room. “Come on, at least go sit on a comfortable chair. You’ve earned a break for the day. Tomorrow you get to work more on map-making and reading, strategies, and reports,” he said cheerily. Daniel grunted with a resigned sigh as he painfully stood up.

He made his way over to the couch there and sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Gilan was making something for them to eat and making some coffee. Once it was done, Gilan brought it over to the couch and sat with Daniel. The two ate in peaceful silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so, here’s the next chap!! I hope you enjoyed it!! The next update, idk when. We’ll see. But I do hope you liked it! I had fun writing it!! Anyways, see ya next time!! -Love Willa <3<3<3<3

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so here’s the new chap of this new fic!! I hope you do enjoy reading the chapters. Just so you know, the next chap will be the Gathering cause, why not. But most other chaps will be by themselves. Also, updates will be random. And, if you’ve seen Star Wars the Clone Wars, well, their episode ordering is what this will kinda be like. Random and unknown. I’ll try to make it easier on what order, but no promises. Again, I hope you enjoyed! -Love Willa <3<3


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